|
*These
questions were asked by our newsletter subscribers in
a special edition that encouraged readers to let us
know what they wanted to know about vintage costume
jewelry. Unfortunately we can not respond to all the
questions we receive by email as the amount is too large.
Join our newsletter for
valuable information, special deals and new offerings
by VintageCostumeJewelry.com!
Skip
to:
- What
is Vintage?
- Determining
Metals Used in Vintage Costume Jewelry
- Gold-toned
Metal and Vermeil
| 1.
Question: What is Vintage? |
"I
heard someone say that vintage the term for items 20
years old. Is this correct?"
Answer:
The term "vintage" is often misunderstood
by dealers and collectors. When dealing with vintage
costume jewelry, the term usually applies to an item
that is 20+ years old. Many experts agree that the term
"antique" can be applied to vintage costume
jewelry that is 50+ years old. This may be for two reasons.
For one, the field of collecting costume jewelry is
fairly new. Secondly, costume jewelry does not tend
to last as long as other antiques might due to moisture
damage, vigorous use, and quality of construction or
materials used.
| 2.
Question: Determining Metals Used in Vintage Costume
Jewelry. |
"Also
how do you determine if something is pot metal, base
metal, nickel silver or white metal? Is rhodium always
identified by the shine?"
Answer:
Many times a metal can be determined by experience.
This means that it is important to view, hold, and feel
as many pieces of jewelry as you can and the differences
will become apparent by inspection alone.
Pot
Metal Dictionary Definition: An inexpensive alloy
of poor quality, usually containing lead, used especially
in making castings: cheap jewelry made from plated pot
metal.
Pot
metal is a heavy, thicker metal that looks somewhat
like pewter. It is often referred to as "base metal"
or "white metal' and was used on jewelry in the
early 20th century.
Example
Of Pot Metal:
Nickel
Silver Dictionary Definition: A silvery, hard, corrosion-resistant,
ductile, malleable alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel,
used in tableware and as a structural material for hospital
and restaurant equipment. Also called German silver.
Nickel
Silver or German Silver does not contain any silver
at all. It is used in costume jewelry as a substitute
for silver and is often plated with silver. If you see
the mark EPNS on jewelry it means that it is Electroplated
Nickel Silver. It was invented in the early 19th century.
Rhodium
Dictionary Definition: A hard, durable, silvery-white
metallic element that is used to form high-temperature
alloys with platinum and is plated on other metals to
produce a durable corrosion-resistant coating.
Rhodium
is a very smooth, shiny, silver colored metal that does
not tarnish like silver.
Example
of Rhodium plated metal:
| 3.
Question: Gold-toned Metal and Vermeil |
"I
have been using the term "goldtone" when I
don't know what the finish is. I have pins which are
marked "sterling" but have a gold finish.
Is that vermeil?"
Answer:
It is very important that you use the term "gold-toned"
when describing a gold colored metal if you are not
sure what the gold is. It is unethical to mislead buyers
into thinking that they are purchasing, for instance,
a "gold" brooch when in fact there is no gold
content or it is just gold filled or plated.
Vermeil
Dictionary Definition: Gilded silver, bronze, or copper.
It
makes sense that if your item is marked sterling but
has a gold finish, it is probably gold plated, washed,
or filled. Adding a metal of less value over top of
one of more value (sterling) does not seem likely. But
what are the differences between Gold Plated, Gold Washed
and Gold Filled?
Gold
Plated items must have layer of gold that is less
than 1/20th of the total weight.
Gold
Wash is a very thin coating of gold that is applied
to the base metal.
Gold
Filled items
must have a layer of gold that is at least 1/20th of
the total weight.
|
